5 Things to Know Before Getting an Art Appraisal.
A short, practical guide from USPAP-compliant appraiser and APAA member Hailey Widrig for collectors, families and advisors navigating an art appraisal for the first time.
Whether you are settling an estate, updating an insurance policy, or simply making sure a collection is properly valued, an art appraisal can raise some unexpected questions: What qualifies as USPAP-compliant? Why do appraised values differ from auction estimates? What documentation will you actually need and when should an advisor be involved rather than an appraiser alone?
This free guide answers the questions we hear most often from clients at Art Partners Advisory, so you know what to expect before the process begins. It draws on our experience preparing USPAP-compliant appraisals for private collectors, family offices, attorneys and institutions, and reflects the same standards we bring to every appraisal engagement, whether the purpose is estate planning, insurance coverage, charitable donation or sale.
If you would like a deeper look at these topics first, our recent post, Ask an Appraiser: Answers to the Questions We Hear Most, covers several of them in more detail, including how fair market value and replacement value are calculated and when each applies.
In this guide:
The difference between fair market value and replacement value and why it matters
What documentation to gather before contacting an appraiser
Common mistakes that delay estate and insurance appraisals
How to tell if an appraiser's credentials meet IRS and insurance requirements
When to loop in an art advisor rather than an appraiser alone
